Savannah Morning News | Lesley Connhttp://savannahnow.com/sms/taxonomy/term/176/
enSavannah's Bull Street fire station nears completion after construction, design delayshttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-05-13/savannahs-bull-street-fire-station-nears-completion-after-construction-design-delays
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12191262.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="210" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12190670.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="468" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12191004.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="373" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12190642.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="167" /></div><p>The opening of the Bull Street fire station has been delayed nearly three months while city officials and the contractor waited on architectural designs for a wheelchair ramp that would meet federal standards for handicapped accessibility.</p>
<p>Another month is expected to pass before the station is finished because work crews are ripping out and replacing the ramp and adjacent sidewalk based on the revised drawings.</p>
<p>That delay hasn’t been the only problem associated with the construction of the new building located between Bull and Whitaker and 32nd and 33rd streets.</p>
<p>The general contractor, Dabbs-Williams, agreed to tear out and re-pour the 32nd Street driveways when, after months of debate and re-testing, core samples of the finished concrete installed by a subcontractor failed stress tests. Heavy-duty concrete was needed to assure the driveways would support the weight of the multiple-ton fire trucks using them.<br />While the city, its designer and its contractor haggled over the corrective steps needed for completion, the firefighters of Station No. 5 have stayed in the 1940s Henry Street station. The city had wanted to expedite construction because the Henry Street station was deemed inadequate and obsolete. In 2008, the station required treatment for significant growth of mold.</p>
<p>Despite the construction difficulties, the city projects the station is on track to finish at $2,659,328 million, which is only $66,328 over the original contract price and is less than half of the contingency fund marked for potential additions.</p>
<p><strong>‘Design discrepancies’ </strong></p>
<p>City officials blame some of the problems on “design discrepancies” and on the design consultant. He is architect Shedrick Coleman, principal of SHEDD architecture.</p>
<p>In an April 16 City Council memo, which was written to serve notice the Savannah Morning News was working on a story, City Manager Stephanie Cutter advised: “City Staff considers the noncompliant ADA/egress plans to be a design error and will request that the design consultant pay the entire cost of removal and construction of the sidewalk and for any other rework that was due to a design error or omission.”</p>
<p>She also explained that staff have experienced some frustrations with Coleman.</p>
<p>“While design discrepancies during the course of a project are typical, the delays in resolving design issues we experienced on this project were not typical,” Cutter wrote.</p>
<p>Even before the first design was drawn, there were questions about how the request for proposals was chosen.</p>
<p>City Council, in April 2010, questioned why Coleman’s firm, being the lowest bidder, a local contractor and minority-owned, wasn’t awarded the project.</p>
<p>Then-City Manager Michael Brown explained that, in reviewing the proposals, other contractors who had more experience in building fire stations were given more weight.</p>
<p>A review of the scoring showed Coleman’s proposal wasn’t given all the scores it could have received for being local, council members said. With council approval, Coleman was awarded the design job, but with the understanding that he would hire another designer who had specific experience in designing fire stations.</p>
<p>Coleman’s contract was $255,990, which included an extra $50,000 for the consulting architect.</p>
<p>During the design process, Coleman said, he did have an associate architect. That firm’s involvement, he said, was very minor.</p>
<p>“They were just looking over my shoulder,” he said. “I am the architect of record.”</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>A reputation to protect </strong></p>
<p>Coleman has some frustrations of his own.</p>
<p>He was surprised to learn city officials in writing and during a televised council meeting were faulting him for problems when, he says, those concerns had not been formally presented to him.</p>
<p>He has responded by sending a letter seeking a formal response, and sent all council members a response to the assertions there were design errors. He also has consulted an attorney.</p>
<p>“When you have a good reputation, you protect it with every fiber of your being,” he said. “I have a good reputation as an architect, and I’m not going to let this (project) be a black mark on my record.”</p>
<p>Coleman has been an architect since 1993, and for 10 years, as a partner with the CowartColeman Group, managed commercial and institutional projects. He has another five years experience as the architect overseeing projects at Georgia Southern University.<br />He also has served on the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission for the last eight years.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Costs and delays </strong></p>
<p>Had the city adhered to the contract as written, several delays and some additional costs to the city would have been avoided, Coleman said.</p>
<p>Construction started in October 2011. The building should have been finished in 270 days, he said, which would have put completion in July 2012.</p>
<p>The project was far behind schedule long before the driveway or the walkway problems, he said, and he cites a months-long wait for the roofing subcontractor to finish that job. The roof was completed in October. Other subcontractors couldn’t begin their work until that was finished, Coleman said.</p>
<p>The roofing subcontractor’s inexperience with the type of roof did delay the project, but a minor part of the problem was “minimal details provided by the architect for the roof,” according to Cara O’Rourke, the city’s architectural coordinator.</p>
<p>O’Rourke tracks and records every detail of a project, and she cited Coleman’s own field reports regarding the redesign needed on the roof.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>A redesigned ramp </strong></p>
<p>The longest delay — and the one that has kept the building from being occupied — was the design delay on the wheelchair ramp, according to O’Rourke’s emails, which tracked the project. Her emails were provided as public records.</p>
<p>City inspectors in January determined the ramp sloped too steeply and did not comply with the Americans with Disability Act or the Life Safety Code under the National Fire Protection Association. Coleman didn’t provide a revised design until March, despite frequent urging.</p>
<p>On March 13, after still no finished design, O’Rourke wrote to Coleman: “We are getting tremendous pressure from upper management to get this project completed.”</p>
<p>The differences are a matter of inches, but the overall effect means a person in a wheelchair might have trouble exiting and likely would roll at a rate faster than expected.<br />Until the ramp is reworked, the building will not be issued a certificate of occupancy, which must be granted for the building to be used.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Change orders </strong></p>
<p>Coleman points to the small number of change orders — five were approved — as evidence of the soundness of his design.</p>
<p>One of those change orders included adding concrete and steel reinforcement for the driveways, which cost the city another $14,939.</p>
<p>Coleman noted that heavy-duty concrete should be used, but, according to email records, no details were provided on the plans. Nor was a design mix included in specifications.</p>
<p>Coleman cites the contract, which states that contractors are to include in the bid all labor and material costs, whether specified, shown or not. During the debate about who was to pay, Coleman argued if the contractor had a question about what was meant by “heavy duty” the question should have been asked during the bid process.</p>
<p>The city considers the driveway materials issue a design omission.</p>
<p><strong>Errors and omissions </strong></p>
<p>The city’s architectural design and review staff calculate that nearly all the overages are due to design errors and omissions. O’Rourke estimated $43,734 were due to errors and $18,762 were due to omissions.</p>
<p>That’s a small number in a multimillion dollar project, and hardly the highest amount in change orders the city has encountered on a project.</p>
<p>Coleman says he has no problem with the city expecting repayment and explained it could be covered under his errors and omissions insurance.</p>
<p>“That’s fine if they can prove my design was at fault, but first, they have to be documented and authenticated,” he said.</p>
<p>He believes the problems he has encountered during construction may be indicative of problems other contractors have faced in working with the city.</p>
<p>“I’ve practiced architecture for 20-plus years,” he said, “And I’ve never had a job that has turned out like this.”</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-05-13/savannahs-bull-street-fire-station-nears-completion-after-construction-design-delays#commentsNewsLesley ConnSocial IssuesWarCityColemanarchitectArchitectureBull Street fire stationCara O'RourkeConstructionconsultantcontractorDabbs-WilliamsdesignerGeneral contractorHenry Street stationmanagerMichael BrownPerson CareerQuotationReal estateSavannah Morning NewsSocial Issuesstation NoStephanie CutterThe buildingthe Savannah Morning NewsUSDWarTue, 14 May 2013 02:59:29 +0000Lesley Conn1031143 at http://savannahnow.comReserve officers will soon beef up SCMPDhttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-29/reserve-officers-will-soon-beef-scmpd
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12103055.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="178" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12103052.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="186" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12103053.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="192" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12103054.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="227" /></div><p node="hl2"><strong>Reserve officers join police force </strong></p>
<p><strong>S</strong>avannah-Chatham police are about to increase their ranks for a fraction of the usual cost.</p>
<p>Reserve officers, who will have the same certification, training and arrest powers as a full-time officer, are being added to the department.</p>
<p>One application has been approved, and a dozen more are under review by Chief Willie Lovett.</p>
<p>“It gives us the opportunity to do more with less,” he said. “They have the same power and authority as a regular, full-time officer. That’s the beauty of it. We can use them wherever we need.”</p>
<p>Reserve officers most likely would be tapped to provide additional coverage during special events, whether it’s for St. Patrick’s Day or OktoberFest. The volunteer officers could work up to 30 hours every quarter or about 10 hours a month. The benefit to them is they could qualify for off-duty, paid assignments.</p>
<p>Each of them must maintain state certification, continuing accredited education and must pass firearms training.</p>
<p>Mark Dana, managing partner for the hotel group Prince Bush Investments, is a former law enforcement officer who began working on the idea with Lovett in 2006 when Lovett was acting chief. </p>
<p>A change in chiefs before Lovett became the permanent department head was one factor for the seven-year delay, but the city also had to evaluate its exposure to legal liability and put in place policies and procedures.</p>
<p>Lovett and Dana expect the first reserves will be retired or former officers. Eventually, though, volunteers with an interest in law enforcement could be selected. The police training academy is willing to schedule night and weekend classes for reserve candidates who have full-time jobs, Dana said.</p>
<p>That could help attract reserves who may decide they want to become full-time officers, he said.</p>
<p>Lovett anticipates building the reserve force to about 25 officers but hopes it could eventually reach 50.</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-29/reserve-officers-will-soon-beef-scmpd#commentsNewsLesley ConnChiefLawLaw enforcementLaw enforcement in CanadaLaw enforcement in the United StatesLaw enforcement officerLegal professionsMARK DANAofficerPerson CareerQuotationSavannah Morning NewsWillie LovettTue, 30 Apr 2013 03:22:21 +0000Lesley Conn1029996 at http://savannahnow.comSavannah city employees vow to get lean togetherhttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-24/savannah-city-employees-vow-get-lean-together
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12184872.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="210" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12183939.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="167" /></div><p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>You may know them as park workers, city inspectors, police officers or revenue administrators.</p>
<p>For the next eight weeks, though, these city of Savannah employees are uniting under team names such as “Girls on Fire” or the “Lean Beans.”</p>
<p>More than 200 city workers have signed up to lose 900 pounds in all and to improve their health through a competition called “Leadership, Exercise, Activity and Nutrition.”</p>
<p>They are competing for prizes, which will be awarded based on the team that has the highest percentage of weight loss and most steps walked.</p>
<p>The plan is to offer a 12-week fitness challenge, with prizes, to all Savannah residents this fall.</p>
<p>We need it.</p>
<p>Health studies show about 30 percent of Coastal Georgia residents are obese; another 30 percent are overweight, said Paula Kreissler, who serves on the board of Healthy Savannah, a co-sponsor. The YMCA of Coastal Georgia and Cerner Health Wins also are sponsors.</p>
<p>Mayor Edna Jackson, on the “Motivated Women” team, kicked off the event Tuesday at Rousakis Plaza, and participants then took a quick, brisk walk along the riverfront.</p>
<p>Dee Jackson, an administrative assistant, admitted as she pumped her arms and lifted her feet that she almost never exercises. That’s going to change.</p>
<p>“I have a personal goal of losing 20 pounds and getting healthy,” she said.</p>
<p>She joined employees in Mobility Services and Parking. The name of their team? “No Parking, Standing or Sitting.”</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-24/savannah-city-employees-vow-get-lean-together#commentsNewsLesley ConnBusinessLaborLawTechnologySavannahCoastal GeorgiaHealthy Savannah912-652-0326administrative assistantboard memberBusinessCernerComputingContact DetailsDee JacksonEdna JacksonGeography of GeorgiaGeorgiaGirls on FireHTMLLaborLawlesley.conn@ savannahnow.commayorPaula KreisslerPerson CareerplayerQuotationRousakis PlazaSavannahSavannah, GeorgiaTechnologyXMLWed, 24 Apr 2013 04:24:05 +0000Lesley Conn1029480 at http://savannahnow.comPublic meeting to view updated Project DeRenne plans set for Tuesdayhttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-21/public-meeting-view-updated-project-derenne-plans-set-tuesday
<p>A Tuesday public information meeting is the next step toward building a new Interstate 516 connector and improving DeRenne Avenue.</p>
<p>It’s also the first chance residents will have to see how the plans have changed. The initial concept, developed with citizen input, is largely the same, but some adjustments were made to proposed street routes during the engineering and environmental review stages.</p>
<p>That was necessary to assure better-flowing connections and to follow federally mandated requirements to disturb historic areas as little as possible, said Heather Fish, a specialist with the Citizen Office.</p>
<p>University Place, Poplar Place and Tatemville all qualify for historic neighborhood designations, the environmental review found. The Summit of Savannah on Hampstead Avenue, which serves elderly and disabled residents, also must not be disrupted if avoidable under the guidelines.</p>
<p>The estimated cost of the project is $76 million, and the city would pay 20 percent, or $15.2 million, with federal and state funding paying the rest.</p>
<p>Tuesday’s public session is a required part of the development process, but it’s also a chance to get more neighborhood input, Fish said.</p>
<p>“It is very important that the public come out and say, ‘I like it’ or ‘I don’t like it’ or ‘I have concerns and here they are’ or ‘Just build it,’” she said.</p>
<p>Public input will help show community interest, which can help when federal highway dollars are assigned to projects.</p>
<p>Susan Broker, director of the Citizen Office, said public input helps the city complete the approvals needed for pre-construction approval.</p>
<p>Having those steps completed helped the city land federal funding for the final phase of construction when “shovel-ready” projects were sought during the stimulus.</p>
<p>That’s the goal with Project DeRenne.</p>
<p>“We have communicated with the state and federal government at every step of the way to make sure we are in line for the federal funding,” Broker said.</p>
<p>The Federal Highway Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation “have been our partners every step of the way of this process,” she said.</p>
<p>City officials more than three years ago began asking residents and business owners for improvement ideas, and from that effort, a final concept was developed.</p>
<p>The plan calls for creating a new route that would allow eastbound traffic on I-516 to flow directly onto Hampstead Avenue to White Bluff Road. That would help divert thousands of cars that back up from Montgomery to Abercorn streets.</p>
<p>The project also incorporates medians, landscaping and bike routes to make DeRenne prettier and more user-friendly to all modes of transportation.</p>
<p><strong>IF YOU GO</strong></p>
<p><strong><strong>WHAT: </strong>PUBLIC INFORMATION OPEN HOUSE ON PROJECT DERENNE</strong></p>
<p><strong><strong>WHEN: </strong>3-7 P.M. TUESDAY</strong></p>
<p><strong><strong>WHERE: </strong>SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE’S ECKBERG AUDITORIUM, 5717 WHITE BLUFF ROAD</strong></p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-21/public-meeting-view-updated-project-derenne-plans-set-tuesday#commentsNewsLatest NewsLesley ConnTechnologyTatemvilleCitizen912-652-0326CAPTCHAComputingContact DetailsHeather FishInterstate 516lesley.conn@savannahnow.comPerson CareerQuotationspecialistTechnologyUniversity PlaceUSDSun, 21 Apr 2013 04:37:40 +0000Lesley Conn1029299 at http://savannahnow.comSavannah council applauds Comcast effort, still pushes for better servicehttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-18/savannah-council-applauds-comcast-effort-still-pushes-better-service
<p />
<p>Savannah City Council members applauded Comcast’s improved response to customer complaints, but also scolded company executives for long lines and poor service at its one office.</p>
<p>“This is a serious issue,” Alderwoman Estella Shabazz said. “When they go into that facility, there is always a wait. The line is often out the door... They are frustrated with standing in line so long.”</p>
<p>Mayor Edna Jackson reminded Comcast vice president Andy Macke that elderly and low-income customers can’t easily get to Comcast’s office on Park of Commerce Drive because it is not directly on a bus route. She and Alderwoman Mary Osborne asked what Comcast had done to open at least one office within the city limits. When Macke said no offices in east Savannah were deemed suitable for Comcast’s needs, Osborne expressed her doubts with a muttered obscenity. </p>
<p>When Macke cited the kiosks at the office that take bill payments, Shabazz countered that the machines require exact change and offer little guidance in how to use them.</p>
<p>“Clearly,” Macke said at one point, “there’s an opportunity to do a better job.”</p>
<p>Comcast drew praise from Aldermen Tony Thomas and John Hall and Mayor Pro Tem Van Johnson, who reported that when they relayed constituent complaints about service, Comcast responded, several times in as little as an hour.</p>
<p>Comcast’s rates and service came under fire last year, and because the cable giant relies on city rights-of-way to run its equipment, the city has limited authority to mandate Comcast respond to service issues. Thomas had been the loudest critic, but that relationship has improved so much that for an April 11 dinner for neighborhood presidents, Comcast sponsored the event and Thomas was its host.</p>
</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-18/savannah-council-applauds-comcast-effort-still-pushes-better-service#commentsNewsLesley ConnEntertainmentSocial IssuesSavannah CityComcast912-652-0326Andy MackeBroadbandComcastContact DetailsEconomy of the United StatesEdna JacksonEntertainmentEstella Shabazzlesley.conn@savannahnow.commayorNBC UniversalPerson CareerPerson Email AddressQuotationSocial IssuesVideo on demandFri, 19 Apr 2013 03:58:13 +0000Lesley Conn1029101 at http://savannahnow.comLiquor spat splits Savannah councilhttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-18/liquor-spat-splits-savannah-council
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/Capture_7.PNG" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="162" /></div><p>One liquor store’s attempt at getting its alcohol license back opened a pointed debate about perceived discrimination, blight and fair enforcement.</p>
<p>Savannah City Council on Thursday voted 7-2 against reconsidering a liquor license renewal for Al’s Discount Liquer, 2111 W. Bay St.</p>
<p>Alderwoman Mary Osborne and Alderman John Hall favored reconsideration.</p>
<p>What comes of the debate could have ramifications for every business that wants a liquor license and for every neighborhood that tries to limit the number of package and convenience stores in residential areas.</p>
<p>After multiple rounds of verbal sparring by council members, City Attorney Brooks Stillwell reminded council he and city staff are working to update the city’s revenue and alcohol ordinances. He believes many of the issues raised will be addressed. It should come to council for review in about three months.</p>
<p>Some of the changes under discussion include creating a new zoning ordinance that would give the city power to limit the number of liquor stores within a given residential area. That appeals to residents in areas such as the Victorian District, who have fought the plethora of shops. Council members, however, also have been vocal that a long-standing city practice of having applicants meet with neighborhood associations before getting a license has no legal basis and at times, has resulted in owners of a new store agreeing to neighborhood demands that far exceed what city ordinance requires.</p>
<p>“It’s not fair,” Hall said.</p>
<p>The Victorian District last month won numerous concessions by Jagdish Patel, who told council he knew he had to agree to the demands to get his license.</p>
<p>That was the undercurrent attorney Robert Brannen and his clients, Mihirkumar Patel and his brother-in-law, Alpesh Patel, stepped into at Thursday’s meeting.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Citations issued </strong></p>
<p>At the Jan. 24 meeting, council refused to renew the liquor license for Al’s Discount Liquer. Alpesh Patel is owner, but Mihirkumar Patel holds the license.</p>
<p>City revenue officers cited the business for litter, substandard sanitation and other problems. Neighbors complained the Patels allowed customers to bring lawn chairs and congregate and said there was criminal activity. City staff also advised that Mihirkumar Patel had been held in contempt in Recorder’s Court for misrepresenting himself as Alpesh Patel in hearings about property maintenance violations.</p>
<p>Brannen told council he had talked with the Patels and listened to court transcripts and believed that Mihirkumar Patel didn’t understand English well enough to understand the court proceeding or to explain that the notices he received mistakenly had Alpesh Patel’s name but were sent to his address.</p>
<p>That was the basis for Brannen’s request for reconsideration.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>No need to reconsider </strong></p>
<p>Most council members, however, were unwilling to accept the explanation.</p>
<p>Mayor Edna Jackson, Mayor Pro Tem Van Johnson, Alderman Tom Bordeaux and Alderman Tony Thomas said Mihirkumar Patel was repeatedly asked whether he understood English and whether he needed an attorney and he advised he understood and did not need counsel. He also admitted at the January meeting that he had misrepresented himself in Recorder’s Court.</p>
<p>Johnson described the business as “a repeated habitual nuisance” and questioned whether a reconsideration would set an unwanted precedent.</p>
<p>“If we start going down the slippery slope of do-overs and repeats, it’s going to be a problem,” he said.</p>
<p>Bordeaux also said the Patels’ approach to responding to complaints and citations “has been nothing but lackadaisical.”</p>
<p>Osborne and Hall, however, fought for the Patels repeatedly. Referring to Mihirkumar Patel, Osborne said it was clear from his confused expression at the January meeting that he did not understand what was being said. Hall faulted city enforcement, saying he and other council members know of other places where people pull up lawn chairs, loiter and read magazines, but the stores are never cited.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Fair treatment </strong></p>
<p>On the question of fair treatment, Thomas sided with Osborne and Hall. He stated Thursday, as he did in a previous meeting, that council appears to treat Patel-owned stores by a different standard, and he has warned that “it skated dangerously close” to discrimination.</p>
<p>Bordeaux countered that if Thomas and Osborne felt certain applicants were being “cherry-picked” for tougher review, he will address that by expecting every liquor license applicant to stand before council to answer the same questions, and he would do so regardless of the extra hours that might require.</p>
<p>City staffers and others in the audience shuddered noticeably at the thought of longer council meetings.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Blight the problem </strong></p>
<p>Alderwoman Estella Shabazz helped close debate by explaining the city could not tolerate allowing store owners who don’t live in Savannah to earn money here, then go home while leaving a blighted store behind.</p>
<p>Her point was proved when the Patels, and another applicant, Krishan Gandhi, said they live in Pooler.</p>
<p>Shabazz said what mattered was what council did now.</p>
<p>“If we don’t put folks on notice, blight will continue to happen,” she said. “Things have to change.”</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-18/liquor-spat-splits-savannah-council#commentsNewsLesley ConnSavannahSavannah City912-652-0326Alcohol lawAlderman John HallAlpesh PatelAttorneyBrooks StillwellCandidate PositionContact DetailsConvenience storeEstella ShabazzFamily RelationGujarati peopleIndian feudalismJagdish Patellesley.conn@savannahnow.comLiquor licenseLiquor storeMary OsborneMihirkumar PatelPatelPerson CareerQuotationRecorder's CourtRobert BrannenSurnamesTom BordeauxTony ThomasVan JohnsonFri, 19 Apr 2013 03:49:28 +0000Lesley Conn1029099 at http://savannahnow.comArmy repeaters cited as cause for faulty garage-door openershttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-17/army-repeaters-cited-cause-faulty-garage-door-openers
<p>Turns out, being Army strong can sometimes be a disadvantage.</p>
<p>That’s true for hundreds of homeowners not just in the Ardsley Park area, but in neighborhoods as far north as Gordonston and as far south as Bryan County.</p>
<p>Army officials confirmed Wednesday that a recent equipment upgrade on one radio tower serving Hunter Army Airfield produced a stronger signal, which transmits over the Ardsley Park area.</p>
<p>While that helps the Army, the added strength knocks out the signals transmitted from garage-door openers to the receiver unit on the door.</p>
<p>No signal, no easy-opening door.</p>
<p>Ron Elliott, director of public affairs for Fort Stewart and Hunter, said Wednesday that further checking showed new repeaters were in operation. On Tuesday, he had been told they were not.</p>
<p>“We did install new equipment on repeaters,” he said. “They did turn it off, but then they turned it right back on.”</p>
<p>Repeaters receive and amplify a radio signal before sending it to the next tower.</p>
<p>The stronger repeater was turned on April 10 at Hunter, and beginning April 11, residents around the Ardsley Park area began experiencing problems and reporting them to garage-door suppliers, battery stores and police.</p>
<p>Other residents reported problems Wednesday, with at least one coming from as far south as the outskirts of Richmond Hill near Fort Stewart. That base upgraded five towers, Elliott said.</p>
<p>Under rules of the Federal Communications Commission, the military’s “Land-Mobile Radios” are the authorized operators of the 380 to 399.9 megahertz band. Garage-door openers operate on the same band, as do baby monitors, cordless phones and other household devices.</p>
<p>Owners of those gadgets are unlicensed users who must yield to military use. That’s been the case for decades, but it’s only in recent years, as more consumer products compete for transmission space, that the military has increased its activity on that band.</p>
<p>Other military communities from Connecticut to Texas and California, have experienced similar problems.</p>
<p>The local bases are complying with Department of Defense orders to use a wider range of radio frequency.</p>
<p>“From a military perspective, there’s not a whole lot to do (to ease the problem) because we’re authorized to operate in that frequency,” Elliott said. “You have to have a spectrum to switch frequencies.”</p>
<p>A range is needed, he said, to accommodate multiple demands for radio space on the base, but it’s also a matter of domestic security, Elliott said. If the public knew the military were operating off one specific frequency, it would be too easy for anyone to listen.</p>
<p>The towers provide signals for mobile radio units needed for 911 operations, military police, training ranges and ground airfield operations.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>WHAT’S THE FIX?</p>
<p>Homeowners who can’t get their garage-door openers to work have two options, said Larry Jameson, co-owner of Overhead Door of Savannah.</p>
<p>Owners who have a newer unit can buy a dual frequency universal receiver. If one frequency doesn’t work, the transmitter will jump to another one that does to open the door, he said.</p>
<p>The dual device costs about $180, Jameson said.</p>
<p>Owners with older units may need to get a new operator and a new receiving unit, which will cost between $300 and $375, he said.</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-17/army-repeaters-cited-cause-faulty-garage-door-openers#commentsNewsLesley ConnBusiness912-652-0326ArmyBusinessContact DetailsDirector of Public AffairsElectronic engineeringElectronicsFORT STEWARTGarageGarage door openerHunterHunter Army AirfieldLarry Jamesonlesley.conn@savannahnow.comPerson CareerQuotationRadioRadio electronicsReceiverRepeaterRon ElliottTechnologyTerminologyTransmitterThu, 18 Apr 2013 03:46:54 +0000Lesley Conn1028942 at http://savannahnow.comTheories abound on Savannah's garage door malfunctionshttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-16/theories-abound-savannahs-garage-door-malfunctions
<p>Something of a mystery has swept over Savannah’s midtown neighborhoods. Discussion has dominated i-Neighbors chats and spawned working theories ranging from sunspots to secret military equipment.</p>
<p>All due, thank you, to the lowly automatic garage door opener.</p>
<p>The device that’s never appreciated until it’s broken began failing in hundreds of homes in the greater Ardsley Park, Edgemere and Chatham Crescent area Thursday night.</p>
<p>Savannah-Chatham police calmed any fears of organized, high-tech burglars using a universal remote by issuing a statement that none of the affected homes had been entered. The precinct commander further assured that officers on patrol would be extra watchful of garages.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Numerous failures </strong></p>
<p>By Monday, Batteries Plus on Hodgson Memorial Drive had more than 100 customers who’d come in to replace batteries. When employees checked the batteries in the remotes, many had plenty of power.</p>
<p>Calls by the dozens to garage door companies quickly followed.</p>
<p>“I do not have an answer except for we have a major incident going on and it’s just a mystery,” said Nanette Jameson, part owner of Overhead Door of Savannah, as phones rang constantly in the background. “There’s no way we would have this many service calls on a normal day.”</p>
<p>Jameson stopped scheduling service calls and told customers not to buy a new transmitter.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to charge an $80 service call when there’s no way we can fix the problem,” she said.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Sunspots or lightning? </strong></p>
<p>Time to ask some experts.</p>
<p>Greig Fine, who works at the Radio Shack on Victory Drive, considered but quickly dismissed the idea of sunspots or even ham radio operators because those would affect other household appliances, too. A lightning strike also was dismissed given how widespread the reports were.</p>
<p>Questions soon turned to the big guys.</p>
<p>Some heard that AT&amp;T had changed its frequencies on a tower that transmits signals to home security systems.</p>
<p>This suggestion apparently was not amusing to personnel with the telecommunications giant, which sent this response to an email request for information: “The AT&amp;T network has nothing to do with this issue involving non-functioning garage door openers.”</p>
<p>End of statement.</p>
<p>Asked for a little more explanation, technicians explained that garage door openers operate on a different bandwidth entirely.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Military use </strong></p>
<p>All right, then, let’s consider the big dog in the park, a suspect named by more than a few: That Hunter Army Airfield must be doing something new at the base, which is southwest of Lynes Parkway and Montgomery Street.</p>
<p>Hunter spokesman Steve Hart was emphatic that nothing at Hunter would cause such a disruption. He explained that, by law, the military cannot do anything in the continental United States that would infringe on the civilian population. If exercises using advanced signaling equipment were called for, he said, they would be scheduled in remote, unpopulated areas. Nor, he said, is the Army sending secret spy planes swooping over residential Savannah.</p>
<p>“I can tell you with great confidence it’s not emanating from Hunter Army Airfield,” he said.</p>
<p>Based on some research offered by Chuck Watson, a Savannah-based research scientist who consults for NASA and the military on remote satellite sensing, Hart, being a good sport, later conceded Hunter indeed might have played a role.</p>
<p>Watson offered two theories.</p>
<p>One being that Hunter is using a Land Mobile Radio system, which operates on the same frequency as garage door openers. If that’s the case, homeowners might need to retrofit their openers. Under FCC regulations, the military has priority for use of the frequency. As consumers take up more wireless devices, the demand for airwaves has pushed the military to this once-little-used frequency. It’s been a documented problem in other military communities.</p>
<p>Late Tuesday, Ron Elliott, director of public affairs for Fort Stewart and Hunter, advised he would be contacting the garrison commander to make sure nothing at Hunter was creating interference.</p>
<p>Hunter put up a repeater on April 10, the night before the problem began, but Elliott was told the equipment was not operating. It transmits a signal in the same range as garage door openers.</p>
<p>That makes sense to Watson, who suspects, though, that the equipment may be operating.</p>
<p>He monitored wide-band radio receivers and could tell the 390-megahertz frequency had more activity.</p>
<p>“Something’s still on,” he said. “Because I can hear it on my receivers.”</p>
<p>On to the final contender, which Watson and Hart agree is a possibility.</p>
<p>And lo and behold, it does have elements of high-tech equipment and spy planes.</p>
<p>Hunter frequently receives Navy pilots based in Jacksonville, Fla., who train on the P3 Orion. The aircraft is equipped with side-scan search radar.</p>
<p>If a pilot, on approach to Hunter, failed to turn off the radar equipment, its strong signal could overwhelm garage door receivers. Some would be temporarily scrambled, but others could have their electronics fried, rendering them permanently disabled.</p>
<p>If that were the case, though, the problem should not persist once units were re-programmed.</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-16/theories-abound-savannahs-garage-door-malfunctions#commentsNewsLatest NewsLesley ConnBusinessLaborLawTechnologySavannahAT&T912-652-0326ArmyBusinessChuck WatsonCommanderContact DetailsDoorGarageGarage door openerGeography of the United StatesGeorgiaGreig Finehigh-techHunterHunter Army AirfieldLaborLand Mobile Radio SystemLawlesley.conn@savannahnow.comLyon HunterNanette JamesonPerson CareerQuotationRadio ShackSavannah, GeorgiaspySteve HartSunspotTechnologytelecommunicationsUSDWirelessWed, 17 Apr 2013 03:45:33 +0000Lesley Conn1028865 at http://savannahnow.comTybee family caught in Boston Marathon explosion aftermathhttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-15/tybee-family-caught-boston-marathon-explosion-aftermath
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12160729.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="373" /></div><p>Tim Seyden felt the blast impact whip past him, watched as smoke roiled overhead and couldn’t shake off the ringing in his ears.</p>
<p><a href="http://savannahnow.com/slideshow/2013-04-15/boston-marathon-explosion#slide-1"><strong>View photos from the Boston Marathon explosion.</strong></a></p>
<p>He was about 100 yards from the finish line of Monday’s Boston Marathon. He had no idea where his wife, runner Pam Seyden, 42, was as he tried to hang on to their three sons, Hunter, Brock and Brady, all age 10, in the closely packed crowd.</p>
<p>Looking behind the grandstands, he could see the glass front of a fast-food restaurant had been blown away, sending shards of glass into the street.</p>
<p>Moments after the first bomb, a second blast ripped past.</p>
<p>“Things were flying everywhere. Debris was everywhere,” he said. “It was pretty bad. At that point, everybody was running. I did not want the boys to get trampled, so I pulled them into an alley and we huddled up as tight as we could.”</p>
<p>Hours earlier, when the Tybee Island family arrived at the race site, they had been impressed by the numerous police, fire and medical personnel. Seconds after the two blasts, he watched as those emergency responders scrambled into action.</p>
<p>For nearly five minutes, he tried calling and texting Pam Seyden on her cellphone. No answer. No response.</p>
<p>He kept his boys behind him, trying, he said, to protect them from the carnage.</p>
<p>Finally, Pam Seyden, 42, got through the overloaded cellphone towers and reached her husband.</p>
<p>She was OK. She had swept past her husband and son in a cluster of runners only a minute or two before the first explosion. She was farther away, waiting for them in a reception tent for families of runners.</p>
<p>Her finish time was recorded at 4 hours, 8 minutes and 29 seconds. A photo of the first blast shows a time clock in the background. It reads 4 hours, 9 minutes and 45 seconds.</p>
<p>Pam Seyden was runner No. 16,504 to cross the finish line. Before the line was closed, 17,584 would cross.</p>
<p>She was one of more than a dozen local runners registered in the marathon.</p>
<p>By Monday evening, there were no reports any of them had been injured in the explosions.</p>
<p>Robert Espinoza, owner of Fleet Feet Sports on Waters Avenue, said the eight Savannah runners he knew of had been contacted.</p>
<p>“All that we know of are accounted for,” he said.</p>
<p>The images of panicked people in a debris-strewn downtown reminded Tim Seyden of New York and Sept. 11. The blast brought back another memory — Atlanta, 1996.</p>
<p>“I was there during the Centennial Park bombing,” Seyden, 45, said. “These were louder than that.</p>
<p>“It didn’t sound like a gun going off, it sounded like the loudest cannon you can imagine. It was a deep, heavy combustion. ‘Boom!’”</p>
<p>The Seydens hustled the boys back to their hotel room, only about four blocks away. More than two hours later, they could still hear sirens, still see a city in chaos.</p>
<p>“My ears are still ringing and my hands are still shaking,” Tim Seyden said.</p>
<p>The Seydens plan to return to Savannah this morning.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Staff writer Adam Van Brimmer contributed to this story.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>LOCAL RUNNERS IN BOSTON</p>
<p>Here are local runners registered to run in Monday’s Boston Marathon:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Bluffton, S.C.</p>
<p>Albert, Gerrit, 39</p>
<p>Drilling, Sarah, 30</p>
<p>Tolerton, John P, 43</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hilton Head</p>
<p>Cap, Ludovit, 67</p>
<p>Garske, Donna, 57</p>
<p>Strickland, Betsy, 46</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Pooler</p>
<p>Carnet, Jesus, 38</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Savannah</p>
<p>Brawner, Jim, 49</p>
<p>Douglas, Isaiah, 51</p>
<p>Estes, Jessica, 35</p>
<p>Grauer, John M, 48</p>
<p>Kolman, Stephen, 47</p>
<p>Lanser, Jerry, 54</p>
<p>Luckett, Kelly, 45</p>
<p>Miller, Elizabeth, 62</p>
<p>Nightingale, Leah, 34</p>
<p>Santoro, Robert, 29</p>
<p>Sibley, Alison, 39</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Tybee Island</p>
<p>Seyden, Pamela, 42</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-15/tybee-family-caught-boston-marathon-explosion-aftermath#commentsNewsLesley ConnTechnologyWarBoston912-652-0326AthleticsBoston MarathonBradyBrock Contact DetailsFamily RelationfoodHunterlesley.conn@savannahnow.comMarathonPam SeydenPerson AttributesPerson CareerPerson Email AddressPerson LocationPerson RelationQuotationRoad runningRobert EspinozarunnerRunningSportsTechnologythe Boston MarathonTim SeydenTybee Island, GeorgiaWarwhipXMLTue, 16 Apr 2013 03:12:36 +0000Lesley Conn1028779 at http://savannahnow.comState awards unemployment benefits to Savannah employee fired after drug arresthttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-14/state-awards-unemployment-benefits-savannah-employee-fired-after-drug-arrest
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/Robert Brown_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="210" /></div><p>A state Department of Labor hearing officer has ordered the city of Savannah to pay unemployment benefits to a worker fired after his arrest on felony drug charges, an order placed on hold by state officials late Friday.</p>
<p>The city had been directed to pay more than $6,000 in benefits to Robert Brown, a senior maintenance worker in the Water and Sewer Department.</p>
<p>Brown was arrested Jan. 25 with $1,500 worth of crack and powder cocaine after selling to undercover narcotics agents, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotic Team reported. He was released on $2,000 bond and is awaiting indictment on felony charges of attempting to sell a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.</p>
<p>On Friday morning, the Savannah Morning News asked state Department of Labor officials about the hearing officer’s decision and whether it was appropriate.</p>
<p>Later in the day, labor officials notified the city they would vacate that decision and would schedule another hearing.</p>
<p>In her April 2 decision, hearing officer Jennifer Simpson reversed an earlier determination by a Department of Labor claims examiner who found Brown was not eligible for benefits.</p>
<p>Department of Labor officials, including Brenda Brown, the director of unemployment insurance, and Brock Timmons, chief of unemployment’s legal section, say neither an arrest, conviction nor serving a prison sentence would necessarily mean a disqualification for benefits.</p>
<p>“The department would never discriminate or not pay someone just because they’re a convicted felon,” Brown said.</p>
<p>Brown, Timmons and legal analyst Tim Mitchell could not speak specifically to any one case, including Brown’s, but generally, they said, as long as a worker follows the necessary steps for filing, continues to seek employment and can demonstrate being ready and able to work, benefits will not be withheld.</p>
<p>In some cases, such as a person convicted on tax evasion who reports to prison only on weekends, unemployment benefits would continue to be paid, they said.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Glowing reports </strong></p>
<p>By his supervisor’s accounts, Brown was a model employee.</p>
<p>Since 2008, he has worked as a senior maintenance employee for Water and Sewer, where he was praised for his dependability, job skills and ability to handle difficult assignments without complaint.</p>
<p>“Employee was able to make an entire first year without missing a single day sick leave or vacation,” one evaluation read. “Employee is a highly eager and motivated employee. Knowledge of large meters repairs and installation is invaluable to the department.”</p>
<p>His supervisor concluded the report by writing. “Need more like Mr. Brown.”</p>
<p>His supervisors, city officials say, were stunned to learn of his arrest.</p>
<p><strong>The decision </strong></p>
<p>Under state law, the city had the burden of proof to show that Brown failed to obey rules, orders or instructions or that he failed to perform his job duties.</p>
<p>The city, in firing Brown, cited him for breaking the employee code of ethics, which instructs that workers shall not knowingly be a party to any illegal or improper activity and shall not engage in acts or activities “which are disgraceful or unbecoming.”</p>
<p>The city included a printout of the press coverage of Brown’s arrest and paperwork showing he knew about the code of conduct.</p>
<p>In his request for benefits, Brown denied having anything to do with the crack and powder cocaine narcotics officers found when he was arrested. He had an explanation, too, for why they found $980 in cash.</p>
<p>“I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They did not get that stuff off me,” he told the claims examiner. “(With) that amount of money I was going to pay some bills.”</p>
<p>Brown had been under investigation for about a month by CNT officers.</p>
<p>The Morning News tried to contact Brown through three phone numbers and an email, but he could not be reached for comment.</p>
<p><strong><br />Request denied </strong></p>
<p>The claims examiner explained the denial in his findings.</p>
<p>“You were fired because you were absent from work while in jail,” the report stated. “The circumstances which lead to your arrest were your responsibility. When you are absent, you are not performing the duties you were hired to do. Therefore, you cannot be paid unemployment benefits.”</p>
<p>In appealing his firing, Brown said he called his supervisor to let him know he was in jail. Brown was told he had enough leave time to cover the days he would miss while he was in jail.</p>
<p>Simply having time available doesn’t automatically guarantee a worker can take leave. Any request would need approval, and if not granted, the time away from the job could be considered absenteeism.</p>
<p>Brown was in jail two weeks. He was released on bond Feb. 14. His termination was effective Jan. 31, six days after his arrest.</p>
<p>When Brown first sought benefits, he said on the form that he was fired for conduct unbecoming a city employee. In his appeal, he focused on the claim examiner’s ruling that he was absent.</p>
<p>“On my termination papers it says for code of conduct,” Brown wrote. “I don’t understand how they can fire me for absenteeism when I (have) never been written up for any absenteeism.”</p>
<p>Simpson explained in her decision that the city did not meet its burden of proof.</p>
<p>“The employer’s policy prohibited employees from knowingly engaging in activity that was disgraceful or unbecoming or knowingly engaging in illegal or improper activities,” she wrote. “The employer has not shown that the claimant knowingly engaged in such activity. The employer has not otherwise shown that the claimant failed to follow the employer’s policy by intentional action or conscious neglect.”</p>
<p>Simpson could not be reached for comment. An employee in the Atlanta office said no outside callers were allowed to be transferred to a hearing officer.</p>
<p>Simpson instructed the city that Brown was entitled to unemployment benefits effective Feb. 10. That would be four days before he was released from jail.</p>
<p><strong><br />Previous history </strong></p>
<p>January’s arrest wasn’t Brown’s first.</p>
<p>It was his third by CNT and his 17th in Chatham County, CNT reported.</p>
<p>The city’s Human Resources Department knew Brown had an arrest history, but they didn’t know all of it.</p>
<p>When Brown applied for his job in 2008, the city relied on a company called InfoMart to do the criminal background check.</p>
<p>InfoMart found Chatham County court cases between 1990 and 1993. Its search showed Brown had been found guilty in three separate cases of aggravated assault and kidnapping; burglary; carrying a concealed weapon, carrying without a license and willful obstruction of law enforcement officers.</p>
<p>InfoMart did not find a later case, a crime committed in January 1997, in which Brown received an 18-year sentence for possession of cocaine. The original charge was possession of marijuana and trafficking in cocaine.</p>
<p>Records at the Department of Corrections show he was released in May 2006, two years before he applied for a job.</p>
<p>His prison record also shows that, had he served his full sentence, he would not be eligible for release until Jan. 2, 2015.</p>
<p>InfoMart’s background check shows their staff had not talked with Brown’s previous employer, Stokes Contracting Inc.</p>
<p>He worked there for almost two years after his release, and on his city application, said he lost his job after the Imperial Sugar explosion.</p>
<p>No one at Stokes returned a call seeking comment Friday.</p>
<p>City officials say InfoMart was replaced in 2009 by another company, First Choice.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Convictions don’t disqualify </strong></p>
<p>The state labor officials and Beth Robinson, the city’s director of Human Resources, said a conviction, even for a felony, does not automatically bar someone from being hired.</p>
<p>It’s a position members of City Council have supported. Felons have no chance of becoming productive members of society if they can’t get hired for jobs that give them a chance to legally earn a living. At a job fair last year, Mayor Edna Jackson supported the position as she encouraged applicants with an arrest history to work with Human Resources to see whether they could be hired.</p>
<p>The city evaluates the criminal history against a number of factors, including the type of job applied for, whether the employee might be tempted to re-offend, whether there has been a pattern of offenses and whether an appointment could be detrimental to the public’s interest and welfare.</p>
<p>An applicant convicted of theft, for example, would not be allowed to work a job handling money.</p>
<p>The state makes similar assessments in a placement program it provides to help felons find work.</p>
<p>“We don’t discriminate,” Brenda Brown said. “We help anyone find work, including those with a criminal record.”</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-14/state-awards-unemployment-benefits-savannah-employee-fired-after-drug-arrest#commentsNewsLesley ConnBusinessLaborLawSavannahHuman Resources912-652-0326analystArrestBrenda BrownBrock TimmonsBusinessChiefContact DetailsConvictionDepartment of LaborDirectorDismissalEconomicsEdward and Elaine BrownEmployee benefitEmploymentEmployment compensationHuman resource managementJennifer SimpsonLaborLawlesley.conn@savannahnow.commodelofficerPerson CareerPerson Email AddressQuotationRobert BrownSick leaveSocioeconomicssupervisorTermination of employmentthe Morning Newsthe Savannah Morning NewsTim MitchellUnemploymentUnemployment benefitsUSDworkerSun, 14 Apr 2013 05:00:21 +0000Lesley Conn1028663 at http://savannahnow.comThunderbolt administrator resigns, police chief firedhttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-11/thunderbolt-administrator-resigns-police-chief-fired
<p>Thunderbolt council members fired police chief Irene Pennington in a split vote Wednesday shortly after they announced town administrator Linton Smith had resigned and a former employee had been hired to take his place. The actions leave Thunderbolt — at least for now — without a town administrator, police chief or fire chief.</p>
<p>Mike Godbold left that department about two months ago. The town's finance clerk, Kay McCafferty, has only recently been re-hired. She was gone two weeks.</p>
<p>The administrative upheaval left many of the nearly three dozen residents in the audience shaking their heads and asking each other what was happening. Wendy Hall and Yvonne Feltovic called on council to explain why Smith, the town administrator since July 2010, was no longer there.</p>
<p>“There are a lot of people who are upset, mystified and bewildered by the fact that Linton was gone, missing from the scene,” Hall said. “I hope you understand that a lot of people were upset that ...Linton was dismissed rather hurriedly.”</p>
<p>Feltovic, a former town clerk, questioned whether council was properly following procedure under the state's Open Meetings Law.</p>
<p>“Where was the vote taken if he was gone?” she asked.</p>
<p>Mayor Anna Maria Thomas said Smith resigned, and Caroline Nguyen, a former administrative clerk over finance, was returning to take his place.</p>
<p>As for Open Meetings procedure, Thomas said no vote to accept Smith's resignation was required, a point David Hudson, general counsel for the Georgia Press Association, affirmed. Thomas and other council members explained they could not go into more detail because the decisions related to personnel.</p>
<p>Regardless of the law, resident John Mattingly said the council's lack of openness was concerning.</p>
<p>“Every indication we had seen was that things were going well, and suddenly, between last month and this month they weren't going well,” Mattingly said. “A little more openness would be nice.”</p>
<p>Reached before the meeting, Smith declined comment, other than to say he was proud of what he'd accomplished for the town.</p>
<p>Residents praised Smith for helping to pull the budget from deficit to surplus, finding a better employee benefits package and staying on top of all aspects of daily operations.</p>
<p>Smith offered his resignation March 28, but it came after one executive session on personnel and just before Thomas and Councilman Dave Crenshaw had a planned meeting with him.</p>
<p>Thomas said Smith offered a verbal resignation, but a written one would follow. Details of a severance package are being worked out, she said, so that information could not yet be provided.</p>
<p>Asked whether she supported Smith's resignation, Thomas said: “My hand was kind of forced because majority rules.”</p>
<p>A 4-3 majority ended Pennington's tenure as chief. Crenshaw and council members John Henry, John Cheeks and Sherry Elmore-Phillips wanted the termination; Thomas, Beth Goette and Kimberly Chappell-Stevens voted against.</p>
<p>Pennington's dismissal wasn't much of a surprise. At March's meeting, council and residents had some heated exchanges over her performance. She was criticized for not enforcing the ordinance against animals at large, which residents say contributed to a child being bitten by a wandering pit bull. She also was accused of not riding calls, even when she was the only officer available to respond.</p>
<p>Thomas defended Pennington, saying council had recently given her very specific requirements of her job and a set time of six months to show improvement. The six months have not elapsed</p>
<p>“I have no issues with her performance,” the mayor said. “She's been jam up.”</p>
<p>Immediately after the vote, Thomas looked at Pennington and said, “I'm so sorry.”</p>
<p>Pennington, the chief since 2005, shrugged as she responded: “It was expected.</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-11/thunderbolt-administrator-resigns-police-chief-fired#commentsLatest NewsLesley ConnBusinessLaborLaw912-652-0326administratoradministrator , police chief or fire chiefAnna Maria ThomasBusinessCaroline NguyenClerkContact DetailsDavid Hudsonfinancegeneral counsel for the GeorgiaGeorgiaIrene PenningtonKay McCaffertyLaborLawlesley.conn@savannahnow.comLinton SmithmayorMike GodboldPenningtonPennington, New JerseyPerson CareerPerson Email Addresspolice chiefQuotationWendy HallYvonne FeltovicThu, 11 Apr 2013 05:03:36 +0000Lesley Conn1028402 at http://savannahnow.comRetired Savannah-Chatham police major arrested in child porn investigationhttp://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2013-04-10/retired-scmpd-major-arrested-child-porn-investigation
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/MET041113DougBurkhalter.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="200" height="150" /></div><p>A major who once commanded the Savannah-Chatham police department's special operations unit was arrested Wednesday&nbsp;as part of a coordinated, multi-agency investigation of Internet child pornography.</p><p>Douglas Burkhalter, 70, was arrested on a felony charge of computer child exploitation. Officers with metro police booked him into the Chatham County jail.</p><p>Michelle Gavin, spokeswoman for the Chatham County Sheriff's Office, said she could not verify late Wednesday night how Burkhalter was being housed, but she said typically, law enforcement, attorneys and other people in criminal justice are not held in the general population.</p><p>Burkhalter retired about six years ago.</p><p>He was one of 98 suspects identified as part of a three-month investigation led by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.</p><p>Law officers served search warrants in 37 counties Wednesday.</p><p>For more on this story, check back Thursday at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.savannahnow.com/">www.savannahnow.com</a> or read Friday's Savannah Morning News.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2013-04-10/retired-scmpd-major-arrested-child-porn-investigation#commentsLatest NewsLesley ConnTechnologyArrestBurkhalterChatham County jailChild pornographyContact DetailsCounty sheriffDouglas BurkhalterGeography of GeorgiaGeography of the United StatesGeorgiaMajorMichelle GavinPerson AttributesPerson CareerQuotationSavannah metropolitan areaSavannah Morning NewsSavannah Morning NewsSavannah, GeorgiaspokeswomanTechnologyXMLThu, 11 Apr 2013 02:53:37 +0000Lesley Conn1028297 at http://savannahnow.comSavannah city manager reverses decision to re-hire troubled officerhttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-09/savannah-city-manager-reverses-decision-re-hire-troubled-officer
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/11988351_3.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="391" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12142052.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="249" height="375" /></div><p>&nbsp;In his 15 years with the Savannah-Chatham police department, Officer Tony Townsend resigned twice while under Internal Affairs investigation.</p>
<p>He had been counseled or disciplined more than 30 times for inappropriate conduct that included sleeping while on duty, insubordination and being banned from a Circle K after he repeatedly sexually harassed female customers and employees.</p>
<p>A few weeks ago, the city hired him again.</p>
<p>City Manager Stephanie Cutter on Monday reviewed Townsend’s work history and directed that Townsend, still a probationary employee, be terminated. She cited a policy that states that employees who are terminated or who resign in lieu of termination are not eligible for rehire for at least three years.</p>
<p>Townsend could not be reached for comment, but in 2010, for the appeal of suspension prior to dismissal, he indicated he should have been given more time to correct problems.</p>
<p>“...I was headed toward the positive change,” he wrote. “I wasn’t really given that chance after my last incident.”</p>
<p>Cutter was alerted to Townsend’s employment after the Savannah Morning News filed an open records request for his personnel records. Tuesday, she agreed with Chief Willie Lovett and Human Resources Director Beth Robinson that Townsend would be eligible to re-apply after Oct. 13, which is three years after his resignation. The city, Cutter explained, would have to allow him to go through the application process like any other candidate.</p>
<p>When he does, he likely will encounter a process that gives all applicants a closer look.</p>
<p>“I’m very concerned. I think the re-employment was a mistake,” Cutter said. “And the city as a whole will be reviewing recruitment processes.”</p>
<p>Lovett took full responsibility for the rehiring, saying whatever happened, the fault ultimately is his.</p>
<p>He was only familiar with incidents leading up the 2010 resignation, he said, and didn’t know about most of the prior actions.</p>
<p>“I was not familiar with all of those things,” he said after he was read a partial list. “It should have come up when he re-applied. His history should have been there.”</p>
<p>The chief, however, suggested that Townsend’s work history was not too far different from other employees.</p>
<p>“In all honesty, there probably are other people we hired that shouldn’t have been,” he said. “It’s just that somebody told you about Townsend.”</p>
<p>What he hated more than anything, Lovett said, is that other officers “ran to the paper” to complain about Townsend’s hiring rather than coming to him. He said anyone who had come to him could have raised the issue and had their concerns addressed without fear of retaliation.</p>
<p>Lovett was not told how the Morning News learned of Townsend’s hiring.</p>
<p>In recent months, the department and Lovett’s leadership have come under the most public criticism since he was named chief in 2010. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting an audit of the department’s crime-reporting procedures based on allegations Alderman Tony Thomas brought forward from constituents.</p>
<p>Council members and citizens have become increasingly vocal about violent crime, and though the department posted record-low year-end crime stats, even Mayor Edna Jackson has said there seems to be a disconnect between what the numbers show and how safe residents feel.</p>
<p><strong>OFFICER TOWNSEND’S DISCIPLINARY RECORD</strong></p>
<p><strong>Oct. 13, 2010:</strong> Advanced Patrol Officer Tony Townsend resigns in lieu of termination two days after being suspended prior to dismissal.</p>
<p><strong>Sept. 3, 2010:</strong> Townsend is counseled after he failed to log into property a found leaf blower. He gave it to workers who had reported a different leaf blower stolen despite them saying it was not their leaf blower. They returned it to a different officer.</p>
<p><strong>Jan. 26, 2010:</strong> The department is notified that Townsend disregarded a 2008 written warning, according to department records, by returning to a Circle K at 8900 White Bluff Road and intimidating a clerk. He had been banned from the store for harassing women clerks and customers and making sexually suggestive comments.</p>
<p>His visit violates a “last chance agreement” he signed six months earlier.</p>
<p>That agreement required him to refrain from violating any department rules and warned him that if, in the next two years, he was the subject of a complaint involving rudeness, indifference, incompetence, sleeping or any other conduct for which he was disciplined in the past five years, he would immediately submit a letter of resignation.</p>
<p><strong>June 9, 2009:</strong> Townsend is suspended for 10 days after the department received five sustained complaints about his behavior in a two-month period the prior year. Two were about missing court, one was about being found asleep for a second time in a few months in his patrol car while on duty. Two more were for conduct unbecoming, either because he was “intimidating,” “rude” and he failed to perform even a cursory investigation of a reported crime. His precinct captain and a lieutenant had recommended termination, but then-Chief Michael Berkow opted for the suspension and the “last chance agreement.”</p>
<p><strong>May 8, 2008:</strong> Written reprimand after found asleep while on duty and parked in a vacant lot on Austin Drive</p>
<p><strong>May 6, 2008:</strong> Failed to properly log property</p>
<p><strong>April 2008:</strong> Loitering at the Circle K and asking inappropriate questions of a sexual nature to customers and employees. Townsend signed a counseling form directing him not to return to the Circle K unless it was for official police duties because of a harassment complaint store employees made against him. He was visiting almost on a daily basis and, while in uniform, following women around the store. He made one so nervous, she spilled a fountain drink. Townsend ordered a clerk to clean up the mess. He also went into a clerk’s purse and helped himself to hand lotion, according to the complaint.</p>
<p><strong>Aug. 2007:</strong> Written reprimand, rudeness</p>
<p><strong>July 2007:</strong> Reprimands for missed court; failing to notify department of off-duty work.</p>
<p><strong>Feb. 2007:</strong> Counseled about improper parking</p>
<p><strong>Dec. 2006:</strong> Counseled after late to work; cut off female driver in traffic while in his patrol car and “mouthed comments” to her.</p>
<p><strong>June 2006:</strong> One-day suspension after failing to properly alert the communications center and other precinct officers that a prisoner in his custody escaped.</p>
<p><strong>Sept. 2005:</strong> Written reprimand after failing to find a loaded gun in a suspect’s coat after a search</p>
<p><strong>Aug. 2005:</strong> Written reprimand, insubordination for refusing to obey a direct order</p>
<p><strong>Aug. 2003:</strong> Written reprimand, violation of use of force reporting</p>
<p><strong>Jan. 2003:</strong> Three-day suspension for excessive tardiness</p>
<p><strong>July 26, 2002:</strong> One-day suspension, repeated tardiness</p>
<p><strong>July 5, 2002:</strong> Counseled after abandoning a police vehicle and leaving the motor running</p>
<p><strong>May 2002:</strong> Counseled about absent without leave</p>
<p><strong>Jan. 2002:</strong> Counseled about missing training</p>
<p><strong>May 2001:</strong> Counseled about missing training</p>
<p><strong>March 2001:</strong> Written reprimand, failing to verify ownership of a vehicle and releasing the vehicle to the wrong person</p>
<p><strong>March 2000:</strong> Oral reprimand for untruthfulness</p>
<p><strong>Oct. 1999:</strong> Five-day suspension, conduct unbecoming an officer.</p>
<p><strong>Oct. 1997:</strong> Resigned during an investigation after admitting he stopped a woman because she had a pretty smile.</p>
<p><strong>Oct. 1996:</strong> One-day suspension, absent without leave</p>
<p><strong>June 1996:</strong> One-day suspension, insubordination</p>
<p><strong>Dec. 1995:</strong> One-day suspension, missing court</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-09/savannah-city-manager-reverses-decision-re-hire-troubled-officer#commentsNewsLesley ConnBusinessLaborLawCircle K912-652-0326AlbumsBeth RobinsonBusinessChiefClerkContact DetailsDirector Human ResourcesDismissalEdna JacksonInsubordinationKiLaborLawlesley.conn@savannahnow.commanagerofficerPerson CareerPerson Email AddressQuotationStephanie Cutterthe Savannah Morning NewsTony TownsendWillie LovettWed, 10 Apr 2013 03:15:32 +0000Lesley Conn1028241 at http://savannahnow.comStephanie Cutter named city managerhttp://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-04/stephanie-cutter-named-city-manager
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12126835.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="229" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12126837.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="353" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12126833.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="160" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12126838.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="422" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12126836.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="186" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12126834.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="422" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12126882.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="186" /><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/12126881.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="186" /></div><p>Maybe it was only fair that Stephanie Cutter’s appointment as city manager should come with some controversy.</p>
<p>The debate brought confusion, conflicting positions, legal advice and last-minute alternative proposals.</p>
<p>None of which had anything to do with Cutter.</p>
<p>Council members eagerly agreed by unanimous vote that rather than reappointing Cutter for another 90-day temporary stint, they would name her Savannah’s seventh city manager. She is the second Savannah &nbsp;native to become city manager.</p>
<p>Getting to that vote, though, required sitting through an hour-long tussle by council about how the city’s last remaining site for a digital billboard should be granted. Moments after the vote affirming Cutter, her pastor, the Rev. Quentin Morris of Tremont Temple Missionary Baptist Church, admitted: “I didn’t think we were ever going to get to this.”</p>
<p>For Cutter, 55, getting to this is the culmination of a 24-year city career that took her from budget analyst, then later sanitation director, assistant city manager and acting city manager in October. For council and the city as a whole, Thursday’s vote closed the chapter on the hotly contested job search that led to Small-Toney’s appointment, her tumultuous 18-month tenure and a resignation that continued to divide the community.</p>
<p>By contrast, approving Cutter was comical at times. Council members were so eager to have a role in the recorded vote they tripped over each other for a chance to say something. Alderman John Hall was given the honor of making the motion and he took on the stentorian tone of an orator as he did so. Alderman Tony Thomas seconded, but the vote was again delayed when Alderwoman Estella Shabazz interrupted to say a few words “for history’s sake.” When one spoke, all needed to. As Thomas was given his turn, he couldn’t help laughing. “I am just delighted,” he said, “that we are arguing over who can make the motion.”</p>
<p>Alderman Tom Bordeaux said in the six months Cutter was acting city manager, he and other council members received much feedback from residents, business leaders and city staff.</p>
<p>“I’ve wracked my brain, and I haven’t heard anything negative,” he said. “It’s been positive or more positive.”</p>
<p>Cutter’s positive attitude, her ability to restore morale and unify staff and leadership toward a common goal convinced council Cutter was the only choice, the mayor said.</p>
<p>“It was not a question of ‘can’ or ‘will’ but of ‘oh yes,’” she said of council discussion.</p>
<p>In a second vote, council also agreed to allow the mayor to negotiate salary and terms of employment, which council will approve.</p>
<p>With her husband, Robert Cutter, at her side, Cutter stood at the lectern and thanked council.</p>
<p>“I promise you I will work extremely hard with the entire team of the city of Savannah and we can do great things together,” she said.</p>
<p>Several of her friends and church members have faith she will do just that.</p>
<p>“She goes beyond the call of duty,” Elizabeth Jackson explained. “She’s mild-mannered and her feathers are not ruffled easily.”</p>
<p>Morris knows something of her sense of duty, too. He wanted to be at council for Cutter because, even after she took on the city’s top administrative post, she continues to be there for him and the church. She teaches an adult Sunday School class once a month and as treasurer, manages the church’s half-million-dollar budget.</p>
<p>“I asked her to let me know if it gets to be too much for her,” Morris said. “Even after her appointment, she hasn’t made that statement.”</p>
<p>Anita Parker, who has known Cutter 22 years, offered praise, too. “Her character speaks for itself. She’s a spiritual young lady. That in itself will take the city where it needs to go.”</p>
<p>Cutter’s godfather, Christopher Jackson, was pleased council didn’t bother with a national search for a new city manager.</p>
<p>“I’m so glad to see the city of Savannah decided to use some of the talent they have here rather than spending thousands of dollars on talent that doesn’t work out,” he said.</p>
<p>After the meeting, Cutter listed as priorities homelessness, the revitalization of Montgomery Street and other corridors, the arena study and construction of the cultural arts center. She has learned in the last six months that serving as city manager depends on how it’s done.</p>
<p>“You can make it hard or you can make it easy,” she said. “You make it easy by nurturing relationships.”</p>
<p>She thanked her 83-year-old mother, Willie Mae Stokes, for showing her how to conduct herself as a lady and for instilling in her unconditional caring for those in need.</p>
<p>“That unconditional caring is in me,” she said. “I believe that’s why I’m the city manager of Savannah. I believe it’s to serve others.”</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-04-04/stephanie-cutter-named-city-manager#commentsNewsLesley ConnBusinessReligionSavannah912-652-0326Alderman John HallAnita ParkerBaptist ChurchBuchanan familybudget analystBusinessContact Detailsdirector , assistantElizabeth JacksonEstella ShabazzFamily RelationGeography of GeorgiaGeography of the United StatesGeorgialesley.conn@savannahnow.commanagermayorPerson AttributesPerson RelationQuotationReligionRobert CutterRochelle Small ToneySavannah metropolitan areaSavannah, GeorgiaSS SavannahStephanie CutterTom BordeauxTony ThomasFri, 05 Apr 2013 03:56:45 +0000Lesley Conn1027859 at http://savannahnow.comStephanie Cutter named Savannah City Managerhttp://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2013-04-04/stephanie-cutter-named-savannah-city-manager
<div><img src="http://sav-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/Cutter.jpg" alt="" title="" class="imagecache imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb imagecache-default imagecache-story_slideshow_thumb_default" width="280" height="391" /></div><p>Stephanie Cutter has been named the next city manager for the city of Savannah.</p><p>Savannah City Council voted unanimously to offer her the job today. Originally, the group had been scheduled only to extend her role as acting city manager.</p><p>Cutter was named acting city manager Oct. 4 after council, in a split vote, accepted the resignation of Rochelle Small-Toney.</p><p>At the time, Cutter said she had no interest in the job permanently, but from the start some council members and many employees encouraged her to reconsider. By January, when council by charter had to vote to extend her acting role, Cutter said she would be open to taking the job “if the time comes.”</p><p>Read more in Friday's Savannah Morning News and here at savannahnow.com.</p>http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2013-04-04/stephanie-cutter-named-savannah-city-manager#commentsLatest NewsLesley ConnBusinessLaborLawSavannahSavannah CityBusinessGeography of GeorgiaGeography of the United StatesGeorgiaLaborLawmanagerRochelle Small-ToneySavannah Morning NewsSavannah, GeorgiaSS SavannahStephanie CutterXMLThu, 04 Apr 2013 19:42:31 +0000Lesley Conn1027825 at http://savannahnow.com